Never Again
by Newton Ransom
Summary: Song fic to Nickelback's Never Again. One-shot. A sort of background into Snape's childhood in my ideas. M for language and violence.


**From the author**: This is just a little diddly I came up with listening to this song on the bus this morning. I'm thinking about doing other songfics, so you'll have to let me knw if this one's good or not. This is the first story I've written not involving an original character.

**Warning**: Violence, language

**Lyrics by Nickelback, Characters by JK Rowling**

* * *

He's drunk again, it's time to fight  
She must have done something wrong tonight  
The living room becomes a boxing ring  
It's time to run when you see him  
Clenching his hands  
She's just a woman  
Never Again

He was sick of it. Lying in his bed, he could hear them fighting. The same scene, over and over again. It never changed, even after all the years. No amount of counseling or compromising made it stop.

The bottom line was simple. Tobias liked to drink. Eileen liked to forgive. Severus liked to hide in the shadows and pretend it wasn't happening.

Tobias would be gone from the time he woke up until the time the bartender kicked him out. Then he'd come home and something would set him off. Something wouldn't bee clean enough for him. Something wouldn't be done fast enough. Someone would look at him wrong. He spent all day drinking and was a very angry drunk. From what Severus heard as he lay awake at night, she never actually did anything wrong. He just enjoyed beating and berating her.

I hear her scream, from down the hall  
Amazing she can even talk at all  
She cries to me, Go back to bed  
I'm terrified that she'll wind up  
Dead in his hands, She's just a woman  
Never Again

The vulgarities start flying. Eileen was a damn good witch in her prime, but after nearly 20 years with Tobias, she didn't have an ounce of magic left in her. She couldn't defend herself against him. She screamed. He had landed his first hit. He heard her in the hallway and went out to make sure she was okay.

Her mouth was bleeding as she turned to him. "Severus, go back to bed. It's late," she said to him like he was a little kid.

He closed the door and sat down in front of it. "I'm not a little kid, and I'm not stupid. Why doesn't she just fight back? I'm sick of this," he said to himself, frustrated.

Been there before, but not like this  
Seen it before, but not like this  
Never before have I ever  
Seen it this bad  
She's just a woman  
Never Again

When he was a child, he would cry. Every time Tobias yelled, he would cry. Every time his mother said to go back to bed, he would cry. But he was past crying. He hadn't shed a tear in almost 4 years. He wasn't a child anymore. He was 16.

He listened to the yelling continue for a while. It stopped and he heard footsteps footsteps in the hall. "Severus? I know you're awake," said a rough voice outside his door. He quickly jumped in his bed and pretended to be asleep. As grown up as he told himself he was, he was still afraid of Tobias. "Hey, get up," he ordered.

He faked grogginess. "What?"

"Me and your mum are leaving. We should be back by the morning."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm taking you her to the hospital. She slipped and fell down the steps."

"Alright," said Severus.

Just tell the nurse, you slipped and fell  
It starts to sting as it starts to swell  
She looks at you, she wants the truth  
It's right out there in the waiting room  
With those hands  
Looking just as sweet as he can  
Never Again

Tobias closed the door. "Liar. I know the truth. If no one else gives you what you deserve, I swear I will. It's pathetic that I have to call you father, I'm more mature than you. At least I have some control. I would love to treat you how you treat her." He was talking to himself.

Father's a name you haven't earned yet  
You're just a child with a temper  
Haven't you heard "Don't hit a lady"?  
Kickin' your ass would be a pleasure

Another night, another time. He could hear them fighting again. It was the last straw.

"Please Tobias. I'm sorry." He heard her pleading. Then, he heard his first hit land. He clenched his fists, holding back his will to grab his wand.

"Bitch." That's all Severus heard, but it was all he needed to hear. He grabbed his wand and threw open his door. His intention was to kill him, but Eileen beat him to it.

He's drunk again, it's time to fight  
Same old shit, just on a different night  
She grabs the gun, she's had enough  
Tonight she'll find out how fucking  
Tough is this man  
Pulls the trigger as fast as she can  
Never Again

They say people are afraid of what they don't know. That was what Severus accepted as the reason behind the hate and the anger. He assumed it started when Eileen had told Tobias she was a witch. She had been young and foolish and fell for a Muggle. She was afraid he wouldn't love her if she told him she was a witch. Once they were married and she was pregnant she thought their love was stronger than that fear of the unknown.

It was similiar to a tale we all know, and yet another reason why Severus related to the Dark Lord so well.


End file.
